Experts say the overall health of Australians remains robust when compared to similar countries.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released ‘Australia’s Health 2024’, a report showing that despite the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the persistent burden of chronic conditions, Australia’s health is generally faring well. 

The biennial report, launched by Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Aged Care, provides an overview of the nation's health status.

It shows Australia's life expectancy at birth is the fourth highest among the 38 OECD countries, following Japan, Korea, and Switzerland. 

Life expectancy for boys born between 2020 and 2022 is 81.2 years, and for girls, it is 85.3 years. These figures represent a significant increase since the early 20th century.

However, for the first time since the mid-1990s, life expectancy in Australia decreased slightly between 2020 and 2022 by 0.1 years for both males and females, largely attributed to the increase in deaths due to COVID-19 in 2022. It was still higher than it was in 2017–2019, prior to the pandemic, by 0.3 years for males and females.

COVID-19 emerged as the third leading cause of death in 2022, the first time in over 50 years that an infectious disease has ranked among the top five causes of death. 

Between 2003 and 2023, Australians gained additional years in full health, though the years spent in ill-health also increased, highlighting the growing demand on the health system.

Chronic conditions remain a significant challenge, with approximately three in five Australians living with at least one long-term health condition and two in five with two or more such conditions. 

Chronic diseases accounted for between 89 per cent and 92 per cent of all deaths annually from 2002 to 2022.

With an ageing and growing population, AIHW predicts that the number of Australians with dementia will more than double by 2058 to 849,300. 

The death rate from coronary heart disease has declined significantly since the late 1960s, yet it remains the leading single cause of death.

Cancer continues to be a major health issue. 

In 2023, over 450 cases were diagnosed daily on average. The number of new cancer cases increased by 88 per cent from 2000 to 2023, while deaths from cancer rose by 41 per cent. 

However, the age-adjusted cancer death rate fell by 25 per cent during this period, indicating improvements in cancer survival rates.

The report also noted a decline in some behaviours and risk factors that negatively impact health. 

Daily smoking rates among Australians aged 14 and over dropped from 12.2 per cent in 2016 to 8.3 per cent in 2022–2023. 

Similarly, the proportion of people drinking alcohol at risky levels decreased from 39 per cent in 2004 to 31 per cent in 2022–23. 

Physical activity levels improved, with fewer adults failing to meet physical activity guidelines compared to five years ago.

Despite these positive trends, obesity remains a concern, with two in three adults aged 18 and over classified as overweight or obese in 2022. 

The proportion of adults not meeting the recommended daily serves of vegetables remained high at 94 per cent, and those not meeting the fruit intake guidelines increased to 56 per cent in 2022.

The report shows that the mental health burden in Australia is increasing, especially among younger Australians. 

Between 2020 and 2022, an estimated 8.5 million Australians aged 16 to 85 had experienced a mental disorder at some point in their lives. 

The prevalence of mental illness among 16 to 24-year-olds rose to 39 per cent in 2020–2022, up from 26 per cent in 2007, driven largely by an increase among females.

The demand for mental health services has also risen, with 10 per cent of the population accessing 13.2 million Medicare-subsidised mental health-specific services in 2022–23.

In 2021–22, Australia spent an estimated $241.3 billion on health goods and services, averaging $9,365 per person - a 6.0 per cent increase in real terms from the previous year.

The health workforce grew by 37 per cent between 2013 and 2022, outpacing the overall employment growth of 21 per cent.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted health services, including hospitalisations and elective surgeries, which remained below pre-pandemic levels in 2022–23. 

Medicare-subsidised telehealth services increased substantially during the pandemic and have not returned to pre-pandemic levels.